A division of the autonomic or involuntary nervous system that works in general opposition to the parasympathetic division. Many of the sympathetic functions are local, specific, and involve secretion of acetylcholine, like any other of your normal nerves-stimulating or suppressing a specific muscle, gland, or whatever. A certain number of these nerves, however, unlike any others in the body, secrete epinephrine (adrenalin) and are called adrenergic. Since the adrenal medulla also secretes the same substances into the bloodstream as a hormone, all the muscles or glands that are affected by the adrenergic sympathetic nerves also react in toto to the epinephrine secreted into the blood. This forms the basis for a potentially lifesaving emergency fight or flight response and is meant for short, drastic activities.
A chronic excess of the adrenergic response, however, is a major cause of stress-and a major contributor to many types of chronic disease. The more you use a particular nerve pathway or affect a particular group of functions, the more blood, fuel storage, and mitochondria are produced to strengthen that group of actions. Using adrenergic energy excessively gives literal dominance to those things that are stimulated or suppressed, and the effects of adrenalin stress linger in the body after the adrenalin is long gone. Since one of the first subjective symptoms of subclinical malnutrition, metabolic imbalances, and environmental pollution is irritability of the central nervous system, hyper-sympathetic function acts as an intermediate between poor diet, pollution, and disease.
A division of the autonomic nervous system stimulated by emotional states, parasympathetic nervous system.
Feeling or showing shared feelings, pity or compassion.
Relating to or belonging to the sympathetic nervous system, or to one of its parts.
A term applied to certain diseases or symptoms which arise in one part of the body in consequence of disease in some distant part. Inflammation may arise in one eye, in consequence of injury to the other, by the spread of organisms along the lymphatic channels connecting the two, and is then known as sympathetic inflammation. Pain also may be of a sympathetic nature.
The autonomic nervous system contains a subdivision that stimulates reactions of fight-or-flight, causing the acceleration of the heart rate and respiratory rate, while also inducing a reduction in the digestive activity.